Netflix Backs Out Of Cannes Film Festival After They Ban Films Without Theatrical Release Dates

Following the Cannes Film Festival’s announcement last year that it would no longer host films that did not commit to “being distributed in French movie theaters” the streaming giant’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, confirmed to Variety that Netflix will not screen any of its upcoming full-length narratives at the film festival. Sarandos told Variety that, “there’s a risk in us going in this way and having our films and filmmakers treated disrespectfully at the festival. They’ve set the tone. I don’t think it would be good for us to be there.” French theater exhibitors reportedly took issue with Cannes allowing Netflix projects into the main competition despite the films failing to secure wide theatrical release dates in the region. National law in France mandates that films can’t appear on home streaming platforms for 36 months after their initial theatrical release.